1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, and more particularly, to a backlight assembly and an LCD device having a backlight assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, different types of flat type display devices are used in portable telephones, computer monitors, and television sets because of their excellent visibility and lower consumption power, and have heat emission amounts similar to cathode ray tube (CRT) device of the same screen size. The different types of flat type display devices include plasma display panel (PDP) devices, field emission display (FED) devices, and LCD devices.
In the LCD devices, a liquid crystal material, which includes liquid crystal molecules, is injected between two thin glass substrates that have specially treated surfaces. The arrangement of the liquid crystal molecules is varied by an induced electric field generated by electrodes that are disposed on facing surfaces of the two thin glass substrates in order to display images. However, since the LCD devices are not self light emitting devices, a light source, such as a lamp unit, is required for displaying the images on an image screen. For example, a backlight assembly is commonly used as the light source provided at the rear of an LCD module device that is used as an image display unit of portable computer devices, such as notebook computers and laptop computers.
FIG. 1 is a schematic construction view of an LCD module device according to the related art, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of region A of FIG. 1 according to the related art. In FIG. 1, an LCD module device includes a liquid crystal panel 110 for displaying images, a backlight assembly 120 installed at the rear of the LCD panel 110 to function as a light source for the LCD panel 110, and a rectangular-framed metal chassis 130 for supporting and affixing the LCD panel 110 and the backlight assembly 120.
In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the backlight assembly 120 includes a diffuser sheet 121, a plurality of prism sheets 122 and 123, a light guide plate 123, a reflector sheet 125, and a rectangular plastic mold frame 126 for installing a light-source lamp unit 127 along one side corner thereof. The mold frame 126 houses and sequentially layers the diffuser sheet 121, the prism sheets 122 and 123, the light guide plate 124, and the reflector sheet 125 therein. In general, the diffuser sheet 121, the prism sheets 122 and 123, the light guide plate 124, and the reflector sheet 125 comprise optical sheets.
A wire 128, which includes low-voltage and high-voltage wires 128a and 128b, are electrically connected with both ends of the lamp unit 127 to supply an external power source to the lamp unit 127. In addition, an outlet portion 126b and a housing groove 126a are disposed along one-side frame of the mold frame 126, which installs the lamp unit 127 thereat. The outlet portion 126b supports and feeds the low-voltage and high-voltage wires 128a and 128b through the mold frame 126. The housing groove 126a houses and guides the low-voltage and high-voltage wires 128a and 128b to the outlet portion 126b, wherein the outlet portion 126b has an opened upper portion 130.
In FIG. 2, the outlet portion 126b is spaced away by a predetermined distance (L) from any one end of the mold frame 126. The low-voltage and high-voltage wires 128a and 128b are bent at mold frame 126 regions that respectively correspond to the outlet portion 126b and the both ends of the lamp unit 127. However, the structure of the outlet portion 126b installed along the one-side frame of the mold frame 126 is problematic since the low-voltage wire 128a and/or the high-voltage wire 128b must released through the opened upper portion 130 of the outlet portion 126b. Thus, any pulling force applied to either of the low-voltage wire 128a and/or the high-voltage wire 128b may result in damage to the low-voltage and/or high-voltage wires 128a and 128b, the lamp unit 127, and/or the mold frame 126.
FIG. 3 is a schematic construction view of another LCD module device according to the related art, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of region B of FIG. 3 according to the related art. In FIG. 3, an LCD module device includes a liquid crystal panel 310 for displaying images, a backlight assembly 320 installed at a rear of the LCD panel 310 to function as a light source for the LCD panel 310, and a rectangular-framed metal chassis 330 for supporting and affixing the LCD panel 310 and the backlight assembly 320.
In FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the backlight assembly 320 includes a diffuser sheet 321, a plurality of prism sheets 322 and 323, a light guide plate 323, a reflector sheet 325, and a rectangular plastic mold frame 326 for installing a light-source lamp unit (not shown) along one side corner thereof. The mold frame 326 houses and sequentially layers the diffuser sheet 321, the prism sheets 322 and 323, the light guide plate 324, and the reflector sheet 325 therein. In general, the diffuser sheet 321, the prism sheets 322 and 323, the light guide plate 324, and the reflector sheet 325 comprise optical sheets.
A wire 328, which includes low-voltage and high-voltage wires 328a and 328b, are electrically connected with both ends of the lamp unit to supply an external power source to the lamp unit. In addition, one support 329 is combined along a one-side frame of the mold frame 326 to be detachable along a vertical direction where the low-voltage and high-voltage wires 328a and 328b are fixedly supported by the support 329. Accordingly, the low-voltage and high-voltage wires 328a and 328b can be installed at the mold frame 326 in a stable manner.
In FIG. 4, an insertion groove 326c for wire outlet is integrally provided for one-side frame of the mold frame 326 that installs a lamp unit (not shown) thereat. The support 329 is fitted into the insertion groove 326c of the mold frame 326 with the low-voltage and high-voltage wires 328a and 328b. The support 329 includes a body 329a having a through hole 329c through which the low-voltage and high-voltage wires 328a and 328b can pass; and a hook fragment 329b protruded from a lower portion of the body 329a. Accordingly, the low-voltage and high-voltage wires 328a and 328b can be supported in a stable manner and passed through at a wire outlet position of the mold frame 326. Thus, it does not matter that the insertion groove 326c is provided at the end of the mold frame 326, but the insertion groove 326c can be spaced away by a predetermined distance from the end of the mold frame, as described above.
In addition, the insertion groove 326c is opened at an upper portion such that the wires 328 can be inserted and pass through along front and rear directions of the support 329. Although not shown, a hook jaw can be provided at a lower portion of the insertion groove 326c to allow the insertion groove 326c to be detachably combined with the support 329 via a hook fragment 329b. Accordingly, the body 329a of the support 329 is inserted through upper opening of the insertion groove 326c while the hook fragment 329b is elastically hooked and combined to the hook jaw (not shown), which is disposed at the lower portion of the insertion groove 326c. 
According to the structures of FIGS. 3 and 4, which include separate supports for fixedly supporting the wire for the lamp unit, the support is inserted into and combined to the insertion groove to allow the stable combination of the wire on the mold frame and to prevent the wire from being released at an outlet position. However, the structures have increased manufacture costs is due to their required separate supports. In addition, manufacturing processes are complicated due to the insertion groove and the installation of the support thereinto.